Running to Fall
by amba gurl
Summary: If you run for too long, you will fall. But if you keep everyone at arms length, who will catch you when you do fall? Iruka will find out the hard way that falling really bloody hurts. Especially when it's off a cliff. Modern day AU, will be KakaIru...;D
1. Chapter 1

_**A.N. hi all! now, this is a story that i have had in the works for a loooong time. i have become enamoured with the Kakashi/Iruka pairing this year, and decided to try my hand at a sorta modern day AU coz i love them. i am actually hopefully starting university in 2 months, so this story may be discontinued, but i decided to put up the first chapter to see if anyone likes it. i am currently writing the third chapter, and i have decided to only put a chapter up if i have written the one after it already.**_

_**i really hope you enjoy it!**_

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><p><em><strong>One<strong>_

"Yer a fuckin' loser! It's no surprise ye got nowt but those piss-poor clothes! Ye should know yer place and take what's offered with practic'ly nothin' wanted from ye in exchange!"

Thus were the parting words of the driver of Iruka's latest ride, having thrown him out of the large truck after having been turned down after requesting some 'special services' from the younger man.

"You're the one who doesn't have enough morals that you've got to request 'special services' from someone! If you wanted that why don't you go find yourself a bloody hooker! If there are any who'd lower themselves to your standards, which would be a goddamn miracle from where I'm standing!" Iruka yelled back, eyes murderous as he jerked his bag out and jumped from the vehicle, slamming the door shut in the face of the overweight, piggish truck driver.

"I've got no morals? Take a look in the mirror, ye little shit! I ain't the one hitchhiking from place ta place coz I spend all me money on drugs and beer, most like!" the man was blubbering, face red and blotchy from rage.

"Shows what little you know, though from the looks of you I'd say it's even less than that!"

Sputtering with rage, the driver leant forward and glared at the younger man.

"Well I c'n tell ya right now that with that 'pure' attitude o' yers that ya aint gonna meet a good end!" And with that final barb, the driver snarled and put his foot down, the truck groaning and moving off down the road.

Head full of anger and embarrassment, Iruka took a moment to calm down, breathing deeply and forcing his fists to uncurl from the offensive grip he had adopted in the face of the old bastard's views and insults. _Where the hell did he get off demanding that I do – do – that – with him! No, stop thinking about it, Iruka. I really need to calm down… _Taking a deep breath, Iruka closed his eyes, tightening his grip on the worn straps of his bag as he attempted to force the broiling emotions from his mind. Unable to do so, he opened his eyes and sighed, rubbing his face.

"The gods hate me," Iruka moaned, tilting his head back and eyeing the dark, ominous heavens. Heaving a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped. Iruka watched his latest chance at a ride drive off into the distance, and the annoyance at being completely disrespected was washed away by his fatigue.

_I'm so tired…_ Iruka groaned, pushing back the strands of hair that had escaped his pony tail.

Squaring his shoulders, Iruka shrugged his backpack higher and started walking, staying on the road rather than drifting towards the roadside. In a single glance he could see some sharp, pointy rocks that would have little to no trouble of piercing the bottoms of his shoes. Iruka eyed his sad, worn old sneakers mournfully.

_I'll have to get a new pair soon… these wouldn't keep out anything…_Iruka concluded. This pair was little more than scraps of fabric and rubber held together by sheer willpower and a stubborn owner.

A thunderous crack erupted from the sky, and Iruka jerked his head up to gaze at the sky, wide eyed. He hadn't been expecting that.

_Great, now I have to deal with thunder…_he musgroucheded sadly, unable to stop the pout that appeared as he eyed the sky with trepidation. _…I really hate storms…_ he flinched as a particularly loud crack sounded, followed closely by a bright flash in the distance.

_And lightning…_

A small raindrop fell, landing squarely on Iruka's nose. A sneeze escaped him, and he scowled darkly at the asphalt, continuing to walk. There was no sign of civilization, only road and cliffs, the sheer edges disappearing beneath a thick canopy of trees. Iruka could only guess at the true heights of the cliffs.

"I don't suppose you'd like to hold off the rain for a couple of hours? I'd really appreciate it!" he called, eyeing the sky wryly as he trudged forward. As if in response to his request, the heavens decided to open, and a sudden torrent of rain was released.

"Damn it!" Iruka hissed, hunching over slightly as the icy rain pounded down. He was drenched within moments.

Iruka looked around, hopelessly searching for shelter of any kind. A small rocky outcrop ahead of him caught his eye, and he started towards it. _I just need a bit of shelter… even if it's just enough to keep my bag dry, I'll be glad…_

As Iruka rounded the little outcrop, a streak of lightning flashed down and slammed into the road before him. The bright light cut into his eyes, and he let out a yell as he was blinded.

It was all over before Iruka could blink, but the after effects were catastrophic.

"Shit!" he screamed as debris from the strike flew outwards, pieces of rock slicing his raised hands and exposed face with clinical ease. Staggering blindly, he ducked in an attempt to dodge the flying projectiles, but as he took a step backwards to get away from the pain, his foot met air. He lost his precarious balance, and fell backwards, over the edge of the cliff that had most definitely not been that close last time he had looked.

An irrational thought crossed his mind as he fell back through mid air; _looks like I won't be needing new shoes after all..._

Iruka yelled as his abrupt freefall was stopped when his shoulder collided painfully with the sloping cliff, then continuing his decent in leaps and bounds that had his entire body aching and crying out in pain. The world was spinning and jerking as he rolled, but he could feel his decent increasing in speed as he fell further towards the tree canopy below. Iruka screamed as felt a sudden, sharp _crack _when his flailing leg smashed against a rock, and threw him off his path to roll sideways, further jolting his throbbing ankle.

A sudden darkness pervaded his confused senses, and he realised he was below the trees. The cliff face was beginning to even out, but he was still going strong, desperately wanting to stop his momentum but not having the chance to reach out without breaking something, whether by landing on the limb or hitting another rock.

His free rolling was abruptly halted by a large tree slamming into him, and Iruka couldn't hold back the scream as fire spread across his lower back and ribs. He was once again knocked off course, this time flying off to one side. His eyes squeezed shut; Iruka gritted his teeth as each new roll caused the fire to intensify, in both his back and strangely muted ankle. And as such, he barely noticed when, once again, he said goodbye to the ground and flew into the air. He did, however, notice when instead of the dreaded ground he was expecting, he fell into a river.

Iruka's lips opened in a yell of shock at the sudden, icy grip of the water, and then started to choke as the filthy water flowed into his open mouth. He was jerked under the surface of the river and spun around, the current dragging him along just as fast as he had fallen down the cliff, if not faster.

His lungs were burning, and spots were appearing before his eyes as his body screamed at him for oxygen. But every time he tried to get to the surface the water crushed him further down.

_I'm drowning... _was his last thought, and he felt despair fill him at the thought. He didn't want to die, not like this. His lungs gave out, and he opened his mouth, inhaling what felt like a gallon of water. He choked, but rather than expelling the water, he lost what little air he had left.

As he began to lose any coherent thought, and his mind began to turn off, he felt something brush past his outstretched hand. In a moment of desperation he clenched his fist, and was rewarded by a sharp jerk that almost dislocated his shoulder. He was pulled up, hurtling through the water, and could have cried when he felt his head break the surface of the river. He coughed, heaving the contents of his stomach into the rapids as he clung to what he found to be a log, not very large but definitely strong enough to keep him afloat.

Wrapping his arms as tight as he could to the log, Iruka couldn't stop the tears that ran down his face when his entire body screamed at him, and he gasped as something slammed into his bad ankle. He just clung to the log and shivered, hoping to find a shoreline to land on.

Luckily for him, the river had begun to slow, evening out and opening onto small, sandy shores. He had no idea how long he had been clinging to the log, or under the water for that matter, when he finally felt the riverbed take his weight, and he let go of the log, allowing it to drift further down river when he collapsed in the shallows of one of the sandy coves.

Shivering, Iruka tried to move out of the water, but his body had other ideas. With a cry, Iruka fell face first into the water when his arms gave out, and had to roll to the side to stop himself from drowning. Shaking, Iruka painfully dragged his aching body out of the water, forcing his unresponsive limbs to clutch and pull at the sand until only his lower legs and feet were submerged, and he gave up. Collapsing to the sand, Iruka gave in to the darkness that had been lurking at the edges of his vision for hours, and fell into fitful unconsciousness.

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><p><em><strong>A.N. hey! so what did u guys think? i love Iruka so much! please review! coz i want to see if this story will be any good or i wont bother putting anymore chapters up if i do finish it.<strong>_

_**now, i'll be putting the rating up to M in later chapters, but i have it at T right now for the swearing and innuendos.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A.N. hey! thanks to Almiaranger, for being the first person to review this story! also, a big thanks to anon and Namna-dono for their wonderful reviews!**_

_**ok, this update was sort've speedy, and i've actually gotten the next one pretty much finished. i just want to try and get at least two chapters written before i update, coz then you wont all get too much withdrawels from no updates over a long time... talking from experience here XD**_

_**so, here is chapter 2. this one is completely kakashi :P**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p><em><strong>Two<strong>_

_The morning after a storm always seems... different_, _somehow,_ Kakashi mused as he absently washed his dishes, gazing though the massive windows above his sink. _Almost like a blank canvas, just waiting for the artist's brush..._

Shaking the suds off the last dish, Kakashi placed it on the dish drainer and pulled out the plug. Turning his back to the crisp, early morning sunlight streaming through the glass, he wiped his hands on a cloth before tossing it carelessly over the back of a stool. Tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, Kakashi strolled out of the kitchen and through to the combined dining and lounge area. Glancing around, he took in the neat, ordered bookshelves and small settee, pushed back into the far corner of the room out of the way. Looking at them thoughtfully, he finally shook his head. _It's too early to read. What to do, what to do..._

The house didn't need cleaning. He wasn't a messy person by nature, and he'd actually tidied up what little mess there was the day before.

The fireplace didn't need to be cleaned out. Again, he had done that not a week before, and had only lit it once since then, before letting it go out the next day.

He didn't need to do the washing. Again, he'd done it all yesterday, and the only clothes he had that were even remotely dirty were his pyjama pants, and he was planning on wearing them again that night.

He looked to the stairs by the fireplace that lead up to the loft, but almost immediately discarded the idea. He was feeling too lazy to put any effort into working.

He really didn't feel like working in the shed. Although he loved his craftwork, there wasn't really anything he felt like doing today. And he usually spent the afternoons in there anyway.

A bark drew his attention once again to the window, and a smirk crossed his lips. The dogs to the rescue, once again helping decide just what to do with his life.

He'd go for a walk.

Now that he was decided, Kakashi wandered to the front door and toed on his sneakers, shrugging his coat on over the simple t-shirt he was already sporting. Pushing the door open, the tall man slipped out, shutting it behind him and heading around the back of the house. When he arrived at a small gate, he pushed it open and stepped in, only to be bombarded by a mountain of dog.

Laughing, Kakashi pushed the happily barking and tussling dogs off, rubbing their heads and counting them with his eyes. When he got to seven, a small frown touched his lips and he looked closely at the bouncing mutts. _Where was..?_

A small huff from behind made Kakashi turn, and his gaze fell on a small pug already waiting by the gate he had just come through. The dog's mournful gaze was fixed on his owner's face, conveying a sense of apathetic boredom.

"Ah, Pakkun. What's that look for, then?" Kakashi teased, moving forward to the little pug. He patted his thigh and all of his dogs bolted forward, crowding around the gate and jostling to be the first one to freedom.

Chuckling, Kakashi opened the gate and stood back as the dogs bolted through, dashing off into the trees. Wandering after them, Kakashi began to stroll drown a small path, almost hidden from view behind the dense foliage.

Breathing in the crisp, early morning air, Kakashi felt a small smile flit across his lips as he ambled down the track. His dogs were racing around madly, a flit of a tail or a muffled bark and the subsequent chase of some poor innocent woodland creature the only sign that they hadn't disappeared.

_Last night's storm really was wild, _Kakashi mused, skirting a puddle and stepping over a splintered branch. Slouching, Kakashi paused at a dividing pathway. He studied the two paths critically. _Left or right? Decisions, decisions..._

A bark drew his attention to the left, and he chuckled when his gaze fell on little Bisuke, chasing his tail in an insanely tight circle. Sure enough, a moment later the pup tripped over his own feet and toppled over, straight into a puddle. A startled yelp heralded his exit, and the small canine stood back from the puddle and shook furiously. Bisuke barked happily at his master, and then turned and bolted down the path.

Still chuckling, Kakashi turned and strolled down the left path, casually sidestepping the puddle. The small path was almost completely obscured with leaves and torn branches left over from the storm, but Kakashi ignored it and kept walking forwards, comfortable enough with the familiar terrain to let his mind wander.

Turning a corner, the path abruptly ended on a small, rocky cove that bordered a large river. Kakashi stepped forward and chose a large rock, perching on the edge and gazing out over the dark water. Small eddies washed against the riverside, catching little pieces of debris and carrying them down the current.

Humming softly, Kakashi stretched back and lay on the surface of the rock, cradling his head on his hands as he gazed up at the cloudless sky. _It really is remarkable how little evidence there is of the storm... _he thought, comparing the forget-me-not blue to the stormy skies of the evening before.

A sudden, sharp bark startled Kakashi out of his reverie, and he turned his head to the side to see what had his dogs so excited. Not seeing anything, the man sat up and turned to face the direction the bark had come from. Frowning, Kakashi squinted as he saw a flit of white moving towards him through the trees, and blinked in astonishment when he saw Uhei, his bandaged dog come bolting out of the trees. _I didn't even know Uhei could run that fast, _he thought in surprise as the panting dog bolted over and leapt onto him.

"Woah, boy! What's got into you?" Kakashi asked, reaching up to fondle the dog's ear. But before he could touch him, Uhei had jumped off the rock and was running back and forth in front of him. When Kakashi only looked at him, puzzled, Uhei grabbed the leg of Kakashi's jeans and gave it a yank.

"Uhei!" Kakashi scolded, trying to pull his clothing from the errant canine. A growl made him look closer at his dog, and Kakashi frowned as the canine continued to tug on the pants. Uhei yipped when he felt his master's attention focused on him. The dog let go of the pants and skipped back, barking. Turning, Uhei dashed back the way he had come.

Kakashi stared as his dog ran off down the riverbank, then shrugged and began to follow. _Must have found something they want me to play with… _

Kakashi had been walking for barely a hundred metres before he came upon all eight of his dogs, crowded at the edge of the river around what looked like a pile of debris. Kakashi's brow furrowed as he slowed, eyeing the pile cautiously. If his dogs were _that _excited, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. _It's probably some animal that got swept away in the storm, _he thought, stopping a few feet from the dogs.

Kakashi sighed. He'd better check. He didn't want the mutts dragging some stinking pig carcass all the way home. "All right, boys, out of the way," he commanded, sweeping one hand to the side. All of the dogs obeyed soundlessly, which had Kakashi frowning slightly. They were well trained, yes, but to obey him without a sound..?

_Something's got them spooked…_

Now that the dogs were out of the way, Kakashi could get a better view of what they had found. Frowning slightly, he reached forward to touch a pile of what looked like muddy grass. Gripping it tightly, he pulled and was rewarded with the exposure of what was unmistakeably a human hand. Freezing, Kakashi stared down at the small, tan hand that, now that he was looking closely, was joined to the larger pile by what he had thought was a log.

_Shit… well, at least they didn't drag it home…_

He knelt down and peered at the body, trying to look past the mud and leaves that seemed grafted to the pile.

_Half of them are still in the water, whoever it is. Hmm… _

Kakashi reached forward to what he thought was the face, and brushed back the filthy strands of hair that had stuck to the face. A mixture of mud and what looked suspiciously like blood caked the face, covering any distinguishing marks that would tell him if it was a man or a woman.

Reaching for the shoulder, Kakashi carefully rolled the body over, and was rewarded with a flat chest. _A boy, then. _

Touching the boy's cheek gently, Kakashi ran his fingers along the jaw line, melancholy settling over his thoughts. He froze when the lips parted, just barely, and held his breath, gaze fixed on the lips. _Is he..? _Kakashi immediately pressed his fingertips to the youth's neck, going completely still. _There! _A small, thready beat announced the life in the boy.

"Well, well," Kakashi said softly, eyeing the boy with interest. "You're certainly a tough little thing. Guess I can't leave you here." He eyed the slim form thoughtfully, then fitted his arms under the boy's armpits and dragged him out of the water. He frowned slightly when the boy's shoeless feet emerged, but dismissed it as them having been lost in the river.

Eyeing the soaked, muddy youth and then comparing it with his casual t-shirt and jeans, Kakashi slipped off his jacket and placed it on the ground beside him, inside out. Leaning down, he carefully moved the boy onto the jacket. As he did this, his dogs stood back and stared, not making a single sound.

Wrapping the jacket around the small form, Kakashi lifted the boy's back, wrapping one arm around his back and placing the other under the youth's knees. When he stood, the boy's head fell to the crook between his neck and shoulder. Kakashi frowned slightly as he contemplated the jacket wrapped form in his arms. _I don't know how old he is, but he's way too light. I don't think even healthy ten year olds are this light. _

Looking up, Kakashi blinked as he found himself under the scrutiny of eight pairs of eyes. Blinking, Kakashi stared at the dogs. They stared back.

"What?" he said defensively, shifting his grip on the boy to make him more comfortable to carry.

A small huff from his feet made him look down, and he found his eyes caught by the uncommonly curious eyes of Pakkun. Kakashi blinked, and then gestured to the boy awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm going to take him back to the house. We can't leave him out here," he explained, not finding it odd to be telling this to a dog. Not at all. Nope. Oh, who was he kidding? Of course he was crazy; he was explaining his actions to his dogs for god's sake!

Pakkun seemed to contemplate the youth, before tilting his head in acceptance. He turned to the other dogs, who had been watching the interaction with interest. Now they all turned to fix their gaze on the smallest, yet undisputable leader of the pack. A small huff from Pakkun, and all the dogs skipped off back towards the path, completely ignoring their master and his burden. Pakkun turned back to Kakashi and seemed to sigh, before following his brethren.

Kakashi blinked, stumped at his dog's actions. He shrugged, and then began to follow them. It wasn't his fault his dogs were so weird.

Really. It wasn't.

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><p><em><strong>A.N. so what did you guys think? i hope i stood up to standards :P i really like kakashi, but he's a bit hard to write... so, he may seem a big sarcastic but also apathetic to iruka's condition... at least, that's what i got when i was writing it. i reckon, since i'm a bit off with writing characters properly, i'll roll with his almost uncaring persona... it could even fit in... hmm...<strong>_

_**so, back to business! i really hope you guys review. it makes me smile reeaaallly big! :D and if ya'll wanna give me tips on writing kakashi's and Iruka's personalities, i'll be awesomely happy! **_

_**REVIEW PLEASE!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A.N. Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews, especially those from Namna-dono (i lovelovelove Bisuke!) and Almiaranger! **_

_**Now, this chapter is kind've a filler, but it's my fav so far! and now, because i know hardly anyone reads the author notes...**_

_**ENJOY!**_

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><p><em><strong>Three<strong>_

Kakashi nudged the door to his house open with his shoulder, and once again stood back as the pack of dogs pushed past to enter his home. "Stay off the bed!" Kakashi called after the retreating canines, shaking his head slightly as they scattered through the rooms.

Looking down at the boy in his arms, Kakashi frowned slightly at all the mud and crap that was sticking to him. A clean up was in order, he decided, moving forward into the room and kicking the door shut behind him.

Walking through the house, Kakashi rolled his eyes at the way his dogs had staked their claim in front of the fireplace, even though it wasn't on. The thick, soft rug before it was wonderful to lie on, as Kakashi well knew.

Entering the bathroom, Kakashi paused and looked critically at the clothing on the boy. It was disgusting, all muddy and torn, and it didn't look like it had been in great condition even before he had taken the dive into the river.

"I suppose you won't mind me getting rid of them, eh?" he murmured, shifting the boy a bit higher up. The boy's face fell back and his lips parted, and Kakashi felt the tiniest breath of cool air brush over his cheek. He chuckled softly and moved forward, carefully lowering himself to sit on the edge of the oversized bath tub.

As he rested the smaller person on his lap and leaned forward to drop the plug into the bottom, he felt a sudden shudder wrack the small body. A nearly silent whimper startled him, and he pulled back to eye the body cradled against him. Though the boy's eyes were still closed, his lips were twisted as though he was in pain. Kakashi automatically reached a hand up and gently pushed his hair off his face, revealing a ragged slash running parallel to his hairline. Luckily, it wasn't bleeding, but Kakashi frowned as he eyed the jagged edges of the nasty little cut. He ran his finger across the unmarred skin belong the cut, and smiled softly as the boy relaxed under the gentle ministrations.

"There's a good boy," he said softly, smirking as he recalled multiple incidents when he spoke to his dogs in the same tone. Leaning forward, he turned the taps on and fiddled with the dials, running his hand through the flow before he was satisfied with the warm water that began to fill the tub. Sitting back, he waited until the tub was half full before switching off the taps and turning his attention back to his unexpected charge.

Eyeing the simple tee shirt the boy was sporting, Kakashi found a rather large tear near his left shoulder, and reached for it. Steadying the smaller body against his chest, he carefully gripped the torn edges before firmly wrenching them apart. He smirked slightly as the edges of the shirt stretched out, parting to reveal a painfully thin and filthy torso. Kakashi ignored the bare skin and set about slipping the destroyed shirt over the shoulders and down the arm not currently trapped against him. Once done with that arm he pulled the rag off the other arm and dropped it on the tiles, grimacing slightly at the wet 'plop'.

Kakashi leant the boy back so he could undo the jeans, popping the button and sliding the zip down. The jeans hung loosely and Kakashi carefully lifted the boy to drag them down. He paused as he spied the boxers, but with a glance at the unconscious face he shrugged and dragged them off as well.

Not bothering to look at the naked body reclined in his arms, Kakashi turned and carefully lowered him into the warm water. He cradled the back of the boy's neck with his right hand and began to gently wash the small body. His frown deepened as he saw just how many of the dark marks on the boy's body was actually bruising and not mud as he had first thought. As the once clear water began to resemble the river he had found him in, Kakashi turned his attention to the youth's face and hair.

Dipping a face cloth into the now lukewarm water, the tall man set about removing the mud and who knew what else that was caked to the boy's face. As more patches of skin were revealed, Kakashi came to the conclusion that the textured line running over the boy's nose was not, in fact, a particularly stubborn strand of muddy reed. Kakashi eyed the clean face before him, gaze running over the rather large scar that bisected the otherwise unblemished face.

"Hmm..." he hummed, running a finger across the slim line. "I bet you've got some stories to tell," he murmured, absently flexing the hand that was keeping the boy's head out of the water. But as he did so he felt his fingers become tangled in the still matted hair. Frowning slightly, Kakashi leant forward.

_How could they get stuck in his hair? It's barely past his ears..._

As he inspected the matted strands of hair, Kakashi spied something that looked a bit too_... thick_ to be hair.

_A hair tie? Interesting..._

Carefully untangling his fingers, Kakashi set about removing the piece of elastic. After a few minutes, he gave a frustrated growl and gave it a sharp twist, snapping it with ease.

_Yeah, take that you worthless piece of rubber!_

Smirking happily, Kakashi pulled the broken hair tie from the tangled strands, letting them fall down to their natural length. Kakashi gently tilted the boy's head back, watching in near fascination as the now rather long hair floated in the water.

"I always did like long hair," he said softly, smiling at the long, filthy lochs that were begging him to wash them. At least, that's what he told himself as he gave into the urge and lowered the boy's head back into the water, submerging his hair completely.

Kakashi began scrubbing at the boy's scalp, grimacing slightly as the almost black filth began to permeate the water. Lifting the dripping strands from the water Kakashi inspected them.

_A brunet, huh? Makes sense. I couldn't tell under all that mud...man, this is pretty soft hair, even when it's filthy..._

Letting go of the hair, Kakashi reached down and pulled out the plug, waiting patiently as the filthy water began to recede down the drain, revealing the naked body he was currently in control of.

Frowning, Kakashi ignored the bruises and eyed the boy's physique critically. He was much too skinny, considering his height and... physical development. But that wasn't the current problem, he reminded himself, dismissing the thoughts of possible malnutrition and turning his gaze to the network of bruises. Pausing, Kakashi carefully reached forward and ran his hand over a particularly nasty looking bruise that had taken up the lower right side of the boy's rib cage. Gently pressing, Kakashi gave a small sigh of relief when he encountered resistance.

_Well, at least he hasn't got any broken ribs. All these bruises, though, are gonna give him a tonne of pain if he doesn't take it easy, _Kakashi thought to himself, mentally cataloguing the multitudes of bruises covering the overly thin body.

Leaning forward, Kakashi grabbed the bottles of shampoo and conditioner tucked against the far wall. Squirting a decent amount of the shampoo into his palm, Kakashi set about lathering the boy's hair, making sure he got it worked right into the scalp. Paying special care to not getting any of the lather into the cut on the boy's forehead, Kakashi turned on the tap to rinse the soap from the hair. Repeating the process with the conditioner, Kakashi turned off the tap for the last time and looked at the body lying in his bathtub.

Standing, the silver haired man moved towards a cupboard set into the wall, and opening it he grabbed one of his overly large towels. Shutting the door, he moved back over to the bath and contemplated how he was to go about getting the wet youth out of his bathtub and dried. Humming softly, Kakashi kicked the still soggy clothes into a corner and laid the towel down flat on the tiles. He then reached down and slotted his arms under the boy and lifted carefully, balancing with ease as he slid forward and fell against his chest, further dampening his already wet shirt.

Kakashi chuckled as he carefully set the boy on the towel and wrapped the ends around him snugly. He looked so small! It wasn't just the fact that it was one of his many over sized towels, but the way in which the material encased him brought to mind a small infant nestled in his crib. That is, if the crib were made of near black tiles, and the infant scarred with a full head of hair...

Now he was getting off topic.

Shaking his head to dispel his wandering thoughts, Kakashi grabbed another towel off a nearby hook and quickly dried the boy's hair, before tossing it over to join the growing pile of dirty washing. Scooping up the boy, Kakashi stood effortlessly, and moved back into his living area. He paused in the middle of the lounge room and eyed the couch critically, then glanced towards the bedroom.

_The bed is bigger... but the couch is closer to everything... but the bedroom has the med kit... much more important. I can always move him if I need to, he's not really heavy._

Nodding decisively, Kakashi turned and headed towards the bedroom, ignoring the curious gazes of his dogs. Nudging the door open with his foot, Kakashi moved forward and set the boy down on his bed. Standing, he contemplated the towel-wrapped form for a moment, before turning and moving to the small cupboard. Opening it, he reached it and took hold of the rather large green canvas bag that was taking up a good quarter of the floor space.

Kakashi set the bag on the bed and opened it, immediately digging for where he kept his bruise balm. Pulling out a surprisingly large earthenware pot, Kakashi set it beside the comatose occupant of his bed. A pile of stretchy bandages soon joined the pot.

"Okay then, time to treat those sores of yours," he muttered absently, reaching over and carefully exposing the abused body once more. Frowning slightly, Kakashi began applying the ointment to all the bruising he could find, liberally smearing it on the darker skin. Once he had finished the front, paying especial care to the ribs, he placed one hand on the boy's shoulder and the other on his hip and gently eased the boy onto his front. A pensive frown came to his face as he eyed the damage.

_He looks like he went a dozen rounds with a cement wall, _he grumbled, when his gaze fell on a particularly nasty looking welt on the boy's lower back.

"Damn," Kakashi murmured, running his finger over the raised, angry looking flesh. It was dark, almost black, but the lumps he could feel were what caused him to worry. "I hope you didn't manage to damage your spine, kid. That's a bit out of my league." He then carefully smoothed a large dollop of his cream over the bruise, gently massaging the abused flesh. Through sheer willpower and a desire to let the boy have a semblance of modesty, he only did a cursory job of applying the cream to the boy's ass and upper thighs. As he worked his way down the boy's legs, he spied a difference between his ankles. One was rather small and relatively bruise free, but the other had nearly doubled in size.

Kakashi quickly but carefully ran his hands over the swollen joint, he let his shoulders sag in relief. It wasn't broken, but it was quite possibly one of the worst sprains he had ever seen.

Leaning over the bed, he grabbed a pillow and placed it under the foot, deciding to let the swelling go down before he did anything with it.

Finally finished, Kakashi ran his gaze over the frightfully small body passed out on his bed, and nodded slightly. Standing, he carefully pulled the sheets and doona over the form, tucking it around him to keep him warm.

Turning, Kakashi pulled the curtains closed and switched off the light, enveloping the room in darkness. Leaving the door half open so he would hear if his unexpected guest were to wake up, Kakashi headed to the kitchen to see what he had in his food supplies.

After all, it had been a while since he checked. It wasn't to make something nice for the guy. It really wasn't.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N. Hi! So what did you all think? personally i liked the part where kakashi breaks iruka's hair tie :P<strong>_

_**now, im really sorry to say this, but i probably wont be able to update for a little while. I'm getting the results of whether or not i get accepted into the uni course on thurday, and on the same day two of my nephews and my niece are coming to stay for a few days, and they're all under seven! argh, this next week is gonna be a nightmare...**_

_**but you could cheer me up by reviewing ^.^**_


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